A CJAD political analyst says he doesn't understand how Pauline Marois can become premier if she can't speak English properly.

Jean Lapierre is reacting to the PQ leader's refusal to particpate in a leaders' debate on CJAD.

He says the issue is not how good or bad Marois' English is, it's about addressing anglophones.

As well he says, "I thought she was taking English lessons because how is she going to go to New York and defend, for example, Quebec's bond rating or things like that if she can't really come to a debate on CJAD.  I mean, that's quite a problem for her because how is she going to handle discussions in New York or anywhere else around the world"

Liberal leader Jean Charest has agreed to take part in such a debate if other leaders also agreed.

Charest said so in an interview on CJAD Friday morning with ...

Premier Jean Charest's "Pour le Quebec" tour bus made a stop this morning at Fort and Ste. Catherine.

Charest told Andrew Carter that the opposition parties are to blame for this summer election.

"For a year now our adversaries have been asking for an election campaign," he said. "I think the time is right for Quebecers to speak on what kind of society they want to live in.

The prospect of a PQ government is scary, he said. Yesterday he told the Gazette that if Anglos want another referendum, they should stay home on September fourth. Here's what he told Andrew what to expect if Pauline Marois wins.

"Do we want to live in a society where it's the street and referendums, because that is what Mme. Marois is proposing."

He also tackled health care. Charest responded to Francois Legault's proposal to have a family doctor for every Quebecer. Legault ...

To many, this may seem like a farfetched idea, but the CAQ says if elected it will make sure every Quebecer has access to a family doctor within its first year in power.

Leader of the Coalition Avenir Quebec Francois Legault says family physicians in Quebec are prisoners of a mismanaged system.

He made the announcement in Terrebonne alongside the candidate in that riding Dr. Gaetan Barrette.

Dr. Barrette says the problem isn't that there aren't enough doctors to go around, it's the system that's disorganized. He says his first order of business will be to free doctors of administrative tasks so that they can have more time for patients.

"They are buried into forms of this, forms of that," he says. "This is the kind of work that can be taken on by nurses and pharmacists. We need to free them up."

Also under the CAQ health plan, clinic hours would be ...

A report this afternoon suggests the Coalition Avenir Quebec may have landed a star candidate that could firmly place it as the anti-corruption party in the election campaign.

The Globe and Mail is reporting the former head of the anti-collusion squad, Jacques Duscheneau, will be running for the party in the riding of St. Jerome.

Party leader Francois Legault yesterday said his top priority as premier would be to end corruption in the province.

Duscheneau spoke at the Charbonneau Commission into corruption in the construction industry where, among other things, he charged that most of the money raised by political parties in Quebec is done using illegal practices.

Photo: Michel Boyer

Premier Jean Charest confirmed this morning that he would be willing to participate in a leaders debate in English on CJAD, provided that PQ leader Pauline Marois and CAQ leader Francois Legault would also accept.

When questioned by CJAD in Terrebonne, Legault also accepted provided the three front-runners would all be present.

But Marois is hesitant. She told CJAD at an event in Sorel that she isn't comfortable enough in English to debate, but did not rule out the possibility at some point in the future.

CJAD has again made a request to the PQ and will try to accommodate Marois, even if that means holding a bilingual debate, where leaders would be free to answer questions in the language of their choice.

Join the discussion on Twitter: #CJADdebate

Speaking on the Andrew Carter morning show, Premier Jean Charest confirmed that he would take part in an English-language debate on CJAD, but with one catch.

PQ leader Pauline Marois and CAQ leader Francois Legault would also have to accept CJAD's invitation.

In the interview, he also repeated how important it is for the Anglo community to go out and vote. If Anglos don't, he said, we could end up with another referendum.

As for why we're in a summer election campaign, Charest blamed the opposition and student leaders, one of which is running for the PQ.

He said an agreement couldn't be reached with students because they were negotiating in bad faith.